A $71,000 Federal Government handout will do little in actually helping Belgrave’s Sooki Lounge as it weathers a struggling live music industry, its owner said.
As part of the Revive Live program, the federal government funded 105 organisations across Australia on 21 November to ensure music venues and festivals remain open and accessible to all audiences.
Sooki Lounge co-owner Stephen Crombie said the funding would ensure the live music experience is the same for everyone at Sooki Lounge.
“It’s going to make the venue more accessible to people with different types of accessibility requirements, so they’re experiencing the same quality of performance as what non-disabled people would be in here,” Mr Crombie said.
An accessibility ramp will help performers get on stage, upgraded speakers installed around the venue will even out the listening experience and lighting upgrades will increase visibility.
But while Mr Crombie, who runs the venue with his partner Suzana Pozvek, was grateful for the funding, better accessibility means nothing if the venue shuts down.
“It’ll essentially have minimal to none impact [in helping Sooki Lounge],” Mr Crombie said.
In March 2024, Federal Minister for Arts Tony Burke commissioned a parliamentary Inquiry into the Challenges and Opportunities within the Australian Live Music Industry.
According to Live Performance Australia’s (LPA) submission to the inquiry, operational costs involved in touring have increased by 30 to 40 per cent.
Meanwhile, insurance premiums have increased ten-fold since the Covid-19 pandemic, cost of living has dampened patron spending and digital platforms have swayed audience behaviours from live music.
Last year, Mr Crombie claimed insurance costs skyrocketed from $15,000 to $60,000 in the past three years, despite the venue having no claim history in its 11 years of operating.
“It’s the same old story since Covid-19 – your costs have risen by double and plus some.”
“People don’t have any money, we live in a subscription based society so it’s harder trying to get people out.
“You’ve got no domestic bands touring, and they’re not touring because they’re losing money. They’re in just as tough a boat as the venues are,” Mr Crombie said.
Established in 2024-25 budget, Revive Live has invested $69 million to support and promote the Australian contemporary music industry to increase discoverability and develop markets and audiences.
Mr Burke said he knew the role live music venues and festivals played in providing local artists with the chance to perform and grow.
“Music lovers should be able to enjoy local gigs, artists should be able to make a career out of their music and Revive Live is doing just that,” Mr Burke said.
But Mr Crombie said live music venues and artists needed legislation that protects the industry rather than being drip-fed with handouts.
“What the federal government’s been asked to do two years ago was to set up a levy on stadium shows,” he said.
The Australian Live Music Business Council’s (ALMBC) submission to the 2024 inquiry proposed the introduction of an arena ticket levy inspired by successful models in the UK.
The levy would collect a dollar from every ticket sold for major events in large arenas which would go into a fund dedicated to supporting small, independent venues such as Sooki Lounge.
If we take the total ticket sales for both ACDC’s and Oasis’s tours this year, a combined total of $640,000 in revenue would be raised to support small live music venues.
“It’s not the only solution, there are many issues in our industry but you’ve got to start from somewhere,” Mr Crombie said.
“No one’s asked for the government’s money, this industry can fund itself. It just needs the right legislation for it.”
Since artists and bands earn very little for the amount of effort they put into their work as they start out, it can be very difficult for domestic acts to gain traction.
Mr Crombie said if the government doesn’t support the live music industry, then Australia won’t have big bands to support heavyweight international acts such as Oasis.
“At the end of the day, the next time Oasis play, there won’t be a You Am I to support them, and next time ACDC plays, there won’t be an Amyl and the Sniffers,” he said.
Without bands touring, it makes it harder for venues such as Sooki Lounge to pull in crowds and earn revenue.
12 years ago, after the previous venue Ruby’s closed in Belgrave, there was a 12 month gap before Sooki Lounge opened in its place.
For that period, Mr Crombie recalled an empty building void of the bustle and energy it usually brought each weekend. It hung over Belgrave like a “massive dark cloud” which “destroyed” the life of the town.
“Music has played an incredibly important role in the hills for 50 years. It’s vital that this venue is here in the Hills, so that’s what keeps us going,” Mr Crombie said.
